Category for Church of England Rural Deans and Rectors

Question

I'm working on a profile for someone whose career was in the Church of England. During that time, he served as Vicar, Rector, Rural Dean, and Honorary Canon for various dioceses. 

The category page for Anglican Priests states that "Priests who became archbishops, bishops, deans, or archdeacons are usually categorized according to those positions." 

I would like to add appropriate (sub) categories for his positions, but I am uncertain about creating them. If there is someone else who would be more comfortable creating them, I'd be grateful. 

For reference, he was:

• Curate of St. Giles', Northampton
• Vicar of Christ Church, Pennington, Lancashire
• Rector of Christ Church, Salford, Lancashire
• Rural Dean of Salford
• Honorary Canon of Manchester, Lancashire
• Rector and Rural Dean of Ashton-under-Lyne, Lancashire

Answer 1

As an Anglican priest I have held similar titles to this worthy clergyman, apart from Honorary Canon, which is not a stipendiary post. Nor is Rural Dean, though it does have specific responsibilities, and it is usually time limited. Rector and Vicar are virtually the same: they reflect different arrangements for the payment of tithes,  which no longer exist; previously rectors tended to receive more than vicars, but not always (this is all tied up with monasteries being given the rectorial tithes, and Henry VIII selling these rights off -all very complicated, and an example of government theft!) Curate nearly always stands for Assistant Curate,  except in the case of perpetual curates like Patrick Bronte, who was virtually equal to a Vicar, and could also be styled an incumbent.

Comments

Well put, I was going to write something similar, but you have explained it better than I would have done.

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This is great information, Geoffrey. While you’re here, I’ve run across an abbreviation that I can’t parse. One of the positions Arthur’s brother Ernest held was “Perm. to off., dio. of Chichester.” He doesn’t have a profile, yet.

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Thanks, Katrina. Now I'm retired, I still take services from time to time,  as I have Permission to Officiate in the Diocese of Sheffield. You also get a few younger clergy with this, if they make their living in a lay occupation: teaching would be the most traditional example. Have you discovered the wealth of information on Anglican clergy in old editions of Crockford's Directory? Some libraries may have these online, and for anyone before 1835 (in English and Welsh dioceses), there is the brilliant theclergydatabase.org.uk -free!  G.

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Thank you, again!

I have what seems to be a plethora of cousins from a few generations back who were Anglican clergy. I’ll definitely look for that.

Answer 2

Why break them down into that many categories if you explain/list his positions in the biography?

Comments

Because subcategories for other dioceses already exist. And because the page for Anglican Priests specifically says that deans and rectors should be categorized according to their positions.

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The higher level religious occupations categories in England are somewhat muddled, and need rationalising. The emphasis ought to be on categorising individual according to the local "religious congregation" they were associated with. So you could use the existing categories for "St Giles Church, Northampton, Northamptonshire", "Christ Church, Pennington, Lancashire", etc.

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So should I add diocese categories, like the other ones we have, for the ones where he worked?

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As far as I know, the Religion categories are still on hold pending review; the only categories which are approved are the Religious Congregations. If you add "Religion" to the tags on your original post you may get the attention of someone in the Religion Project.

Stephen (England Project Coordinator for Categories)

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Thank you Stephen. That’s good to know. I will do that.